DC CAPE 2.0 Science Biology case studies
DC CAPE 2.0 Science Biology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The DC CAPE 2.0 Science Biology assessment is a subject-area credential for educators seeking to demonstrate biology content knowledge for certification in the District of Columbia. Candidates typically include pre-service teachers completing preparation programs, career-changers entering the classroom, and certified teachers adding a science endorsement. The exam samples the breadth of a standards-aligned high school biology course rather than the depth of a research degree, so success depends on even coverage across molecular and cellular biology, genetics and heredity, evolution and natural selection, biological diversity and classification, ecology and interdependence, and human biology and homeostasis. Questions mix multiple-choice items with constructed-response tasks, meaning you must both recognize correct content and explain biological reasoning in clear prose. The DC CAPE 2.0 Science Biology case studies are 5 cases and about 2,147 words.
1Lactate Accumulation in a Sprinting Muscle Cell
A muscle biopsy from a sprinter is assayed after a 400 m race. Investigators measure a 12-fold rise in cytosolic NADH/NAD+ ratio, a 15-fold rise in lactate, and a 40% drop in ATP compared with resting tissue.
442 words, about 2 min2Two-Gene Cross in a Fruit Fly Line
A genetics class maintains a fruit fly line with two linked autosomal genes: body color (G = gray dominant, g = ebony recessive) and wing shape (W = normal dominant, w = vestigial recessive). A heterozygous female (GgWw) is testcrossed to a homozygous recessive male (ggww).
456 words, about 2 min3Antibiotic Resistance in a Hospital Bacterial Population
A hospital ICU tracks a population of Klebsiella bacteria. Before a new carbapenem antibiotic is introduced, 0.01% of bacteria carry a plasmid-borne carbapenemase gene.
424 words, about 2 min4Energy Flow in a Pond Food Web
A pond receives 1,000,000 kcal of sunlight energy per day. Algae capture 2% of that energy.
449 words, about 2 min5Blood Glucose Regulation After a Meal
A patient fasts overnight, then eats a high-carbohydrate meal. Blood glucose rises from 90 mg/dL to 160 mg/dL within 30 minutes, then returns to ~100 mg/dL by 2 hours.
376 words, about 2 min